The present invention relates to a tactical sling system to assist and enable law enforcement and military personnel to better and more efficiently support and usefully manipulate their sling mounted weapons, and more particularly to systems which enable close body carriage in high alert situations and converting to a distanced body carriage to enable a sight aimed position.
Conventional weapons sling systems have several shortcomings which denigrate their complete utilization in tactical situations. The first and most obvious is seen with respect to the vast majority of slings which are used for the two main purposes of carrying a rifle or other long weapon from a shouldered position, and the use of the sling for wrapping partially about the extended arm of the shooter to steady the weapon for sniping or distance aiming. The carriage of the weapon near the body in its upright orientation simply is not easily attainable with most sling systems because the attachment points for a sling on a conventional rifle or other long weapon is from fittings on the bottom of the rear stock and extending from a position at the bottom of the weapon near the front grip.
Further, most sling systems do not enable the rifle to be carried close to the body with a quick adjust to a second carriage position where the rifle may be brought forward for action. Most straps require a fumbling adjustment to go from one position to the other. With these limitations, the weapon may be carried close to the body and only fired on short notice in a lowered position. Alternatively, a strap can be adjusted to an extended position, but the rifle will receive no substantial close body support except by the user supporting it completely by the use of the arms. The fatigue factor from supporting the rifle completely with the arms diminishes the reaction time and accuracy of the user.
Most tactical team members carry, in addition to a rifle, supplies, communication equipment, ammunition, body armor, and other utility equipment. Managing the rifle, in addition to the other equipment, makes the need for a tactical sling system even more acute.
What is needed is a sling system which enables a rifle to be carried in an upright, ready for firing orientation, and provides a quick, virtually instant transition between a close to the body fire-from-a-lowered-position orientation to an extended aiming fire orientation. The needed sling system should be as silent as possible, avoiding self generated sounds as well as making sounds against the rifle or other equipment. The sling system should provide for stable support of the rifle in all of the carry positions and release only by either the natural aiming action, or by a manual release. The needed sling should be adjustable to enable a user to adjust for a variety of both close to the body and away from the body positions. The needed sling should also have the ability to permit backpack carry of the rifle.